Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

Two Nursing Homes Cited in Patient Deaths

The Department of Health Services has issued AA citations -- the state's most severe citation -- to two nursing homes, the Los Angeles Times reports. Summaries appear below.

Mountain View Child Care Circlebrook, Loma Linda

Mountain View Child Care Circlebrook was fined $25,000 and issued a citation after machines did not alert staff that a patient had stopped breathing. According to DHS, a respiratory care therapist employed by the machine's manufacturer said it appeared that the connecting cable pins on the machine were bent, which could have caused the malfunction.

Staff members also could not immediately find a key to access equipment to revive the patient, the DHS report found.

Mountain View officials said a correction plan submitted to the state ensures that respiratory monitors are functioning properly during each shift and that emergency equipment is easily accessible.

Villa Las Palmas Healthcare Center, El Cajon

Villa Las Palmas Healthcare Center received a $90,000 fine and a citation after an 80-year-old man accidentally set himself on fire. The man was on the center's smokers' patio and lit a piece of paper on fire, which then caught his diaper on fire, according to the DHS report. The man was severely burned and died 10 days later.

DHS found that the center "failed to provide adequate supervision of designated smoking areas to ensure resident safety."